Spark-plug cleaner



I May 29, 1928: 1,671,843

- J. H. sco'rT SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed Jan. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Shoat 1 gwomtoc May 29, 1928.

J. H. SCOTT SPARK PLUG LEANER I Filed Jan. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jwmntoc e/Zkn HI 56015 Patented May 29, 1928 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. SCOTT, OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA.

SPARK-PLUG CLEANER.

Application filed January 18, 1927. Serial No. 181,884.

This invention relates to compound tools and more particularly to a spark plug cleaner. 1

1 After a spark plug has been in use for some time carbon accumulates within the shell and upon the electrodes and inner end portion of the porcelain insulation and is liable to cause the sparkplug to be short circuited and prevent proper operation'of the internal combustion engine with which the spark plug is employed. It is then necessary to remove the plug from its seat in the engine cylinder and thoroughly clean it. This has been found tedious and difiicult to perform as carbon upon the insulationand inner face of the sleeve cannot be readily removed without taking the plug apart. Some plugs maybe taken a art for cleaning and'then reassembled but otters are so formed that the insulation for the central electrode is permanently mounted in the shell. 7

Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide an implement by means of which all portions of the plu may be easily and thoroughly cleaned ,wit iout it being necessary to disassemble the plug. y

(park plug cleaning tool are now in use but they have been found unsatisfactory as the do not thoroughly remove the carbon an be conveniently carried upon the person. It is, therefore another object of the, inventionto combine in one assemblage tools for cleaning various portions of the plu and so assemble the tool that the may be olded into a compact mass of sum size that they ma be easily placed in a coat or vest pocket an carried upon the person where they will. be accessible when a spark plug unexpectedly becomes foul and requires cleaning before it will again properly operate.

Anotherobject of the invention is to form the lug cleaning implements of sheet metal so that they will be strong and durable and at the same time light in weight and cheap to roduce.

he invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein .Figure 1 is a view showing one form of spark plug cleaner with the implements constituting the same swung into positionfor in addition are rather large'and cannot.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the plug cleaning implements;

Fig. 4 is a top lan view of a modified form of plug cleaning implement;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of one end portionof the implement shown inFig. 4 and showing the cleaning brush thereof in end elevation; i l i Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of spark plug cleaner;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the spark plug cleaning implements of Fig. 6 folded into the handle.

The spark plug clean'ng tool shown in Fig. 1 comprises compa ion implements 1. and 2 pivotally connected through the medium of a'fastener 3 so that they may be disposed in crossed relation to each.other,as shown, or swung to a folded position in which they will extend longitudinally of each other. The fastener 23 may be either a rivet, as shown, or a bolt carrying a securing nut whichmay be tightened to securely but releasably retain the implements in an adjusted position. Each of the implements is formed of steel or other sheet metal having suflicient resiliency and are stamped to assume the proper configuration. The end portions 4; and 5 of the strip 1 are stamped, as shown in Fig. 2, to assume a eoncavo-convex formation in cross section and each is formed with side recesses 6 and 7 and with auxiliary recesses 8 leading from opposite ends of the recess 7 The recesses 6 and 7 impart additional fiexibilityfto the end portions of the strip 1 and the reduced recesses 8 constitute pockets in which the electrodes of a plug maybe received and" 12 and terminates in a head 13.

Flanges 9 and 10 are formed at opposite ends of the strip 1 and flanges 11 are formed along opposite sides of the end portion carrying the flange 9. The flange 10 extends from the concave face of the strip 1 and is employed to scrape carbon from the insulation of the central electrode, whereas the flanges 9 and 11 project from the convex face of the implement and are employed to scrape carbon from the inner concave surface of the shell of the plug. It will thus be seen that the carbon which accumulates upon the insulation and inner surface of the shell about the inner end portion oi. the insulation may be very easily scraped loose and removed.

The strip or cleaner section 2 has one end portion reduced transversely to form a neck The head 13 is arcuate in cross section and along its free end is formed with teeth 11. The head 13 is of approximately the same size and contour in cross section as the end portions of the strip 1 and is intended to be inserted into the shell with the teeth engaging the Shell and insulation of the central electrode. After the head 13 is fitted into the shell, a rotary motion is imparted to it and carbon which is accumulated in the reduced inner end portion of the space between the shell and, insulation scraped loose. Longitudinally extending 15 are formed in the head in order to impart additional flexibility to it and thereby permit the carbon to be very readily scraped loose. The opposite end portion of the strip 2 is partially reduced in width to form a neck 16 and its free end portion is bent to form a sleeve 17 having a tongue extension 18. A brush head 19 formed of wire strands is placed in the sleeve 17 and when the tongue is forced into close contacting engagement with the neck 16 and the side arms 20 bent into overlying relation tothe tongue the sleeve will be retained in tight binding engagement with the wire strands forming the brush head. In the preferred form, the wire strands are embedded in scaling wax or some other suitable binder which will hold them assembled and prevent them from accidentally slipping longitudinally out of proper position. The brush 19 is employed after the carbon has been scraped loose from the plug and will very effectively serve to polish the scraped surfaces and remove fine particles of carbon not scraped loose by the scrapers.

In Fig. 4, there has been shown an imple ment 21 which may be substituted for the implement 2 shown in Fig. 1. This implement is also formed of resilient sheet metal and has one end portion reduced to form a neck 22 carrying a scraping head 23 which corresponds to the head 13 and is formed with scraping teeth .24 along its free end. Slits 25 lead-from the rear end of the head gripping engagement with the tongue extension 30 of the sleeve 31. The sleeve 31 carries atbrush head 32 formed of wire similar to the brush head 19 but certain of the wine strands are of greater length than the remaining strands so that they project from the opposite end of the sleeve and form an auxiliary bush head 33 by means of which fine carbon may be brushed out of the reduced inner end portion of the ace between the shell and the porcelain insu ation for the central v electrode.

When the plug cleaner shown in Figures 1 through 5 is in use, the members 1 and .2 are turned so that they extend in crossed relation to each other. The implement can then be grasped with a selected end portion of one of the strips or membersprojecting from the hand in position for use and the other member constitutin a cross bar so that the device may be fir y gripped, and a scraping motion readily applied to the memher in use. By this the device ma be very rmly held and easily operate. After the plug has been thoroughly cleaned, the two member's are turned about the pivot fastener 3 so that they extend longitudinally in overlying relation' to each other and are reduced to a compact mass. The device can then be placed in a tool box or pocket and will not be liable to be bent or caught in the pocket when removed.

. The 6, 7 an 8 includes im lemeuts 34, 35, 36 and 37 which are formed similar to the end portions of the members or implements l and 2 and, therefore, do not. need to be described in detail. It should be noted however, that the implement 37 instead of being provided with a sleeve to'carry. the brush head 38 is merel formed with side Wings 39 which are f0 ded inwardly over yin and grippinge inner en portion of the rush head. This form of cleaner also includes an implement all which is also formed of sheet metal and formed with a reduced sha nkportiou 41 having a. head 42 at its free end. The side portions of the head are sha ened as shown at 43, and a recess 44 leads rom its outer and. This implement is intended for use when arrangement of parts Slug cleaner illustrated in Figures into agement with the cleaning a spark plug having a hollow porcelain and when used straddles the walls of the to remove carbon when the implement is moved circumferentially of the porcelain. It should be also noted that since the shank 41 is reduced in width carbon may be scraped.

easily moved out of the handle. When this form of the cleaner is in use, the implements may be swung out of the handle one at a time or they may beall swung outwardly, as shown in Figure 6, and the wing nut tightened to hold them in an extended position 'for selective use. By having the implements all swung outwardy one may be employed to remove carbon from a plug and certain of the remaining implements constitute a turning bar for the implement in use. After a plug has been thoroughly cleaned, the implement will all be swung back into the handle, "as shown in Fig. 8, and the nut tightened. The device can then be placed in a. pocket until again needed.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A spark plug cleaner comprising members having flattened portions in face to face contact with each other and free end )ortions curved transversely and formed wit scraping flanges along their sides, and a pivot fastener passed through the flattened portions of said members to retain the same assembled in close contacting engagement with each other and allow a selectedmember to be swung transversely of another to a position for use.

2. A spark plug cleaner comprising a strip of material curved tranversely to provide 'a concavo-convex formation and having its side portionsbent to form scraping flanges.

3. A spark lug cleaner comprising a strip of material ormed with a recess leading from a marginal edge thereof and with a notch extending into the strip from the recess and providing an auxiliary recess to receive anelectrode of a spark plug when scraping the electrode.

In testimony whereof I afiix rln y signature.

- JOHN H. soo a 3. 

